37 to Domažlice

Route: 112 kilometers, cumulative: 3,345 kilometers | Elevation: 1,060, cumulative elevation: 13,870 meters, distance from home: 439 kilometers (as the crow flies)

Unfortunately, breakfast was only available starting at 8 AM today. Therefore, it got a bit late for the start. I had planned a long ride for today. The reason for that was the town of Domažlice itself and a promising accommodation at a very good price. However, since the day is long enough, the starting time did not play a significant role.

In contrast to yesterday, it didn't rain at all today; the weather was wonderful, if it weren't for the headwind. Actually, I like the wind, but on such a long ride, I need to manage the battery power well. This means specifically that I should ride with as little assistance as possible or even without it when the terrain is flat. The less motor power, the more strength I need to exert myself.

With the energy-rich breakfast and the food I had with me, that was possible, and I reached the destination feeling less tired than yesterday. And even now, three hours later, I am still able to write this daily report without falling asleep.

Today, there were also some sections with loose terrain; however, all were without traffic and easy to ride. In particular, a longer section through the forest was very nice. I could even have crossed a lovely, shallow stream. However, I chose the bridge due to the inherent risk. Imagine if I had fallen into the stream with all my luggage and everything got soaked. How would my journey have unfolded then?

At the end of the forest, there was a small lake. From afar, I heard loud music and saw many tents and parked cars. It looked like a huge party, and the path for me was blocked. They wanted to charge me an entrance fee of about 4 euros to let me through. I found that outrageous, as this was a public path. On the other hand, I didn’t want to argue for long, so I backed up a bit and went around the lake on the other side.

Shortly after, a large city came into view, namely Plzeň, which is Pilsen in German. This is where the famous beer, Pilsner Urquell, comes from. Fortunately, there is a nice bypass that allows you to view the city from above without having to cut through it.

To cross the railroad tracks in a suburb of Plzeň, a magnificent bridge was built that can be accessed in a sizeable arc. Please check out the photos; it's much better than a description.

Dobrany is another small place with beautiful buildings and a large village square. Here, after almost 70 kilometers, I took my lunch break and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and magnificent architecture.

As I continued on the route, I had to ride on roads that had little traffic. At that moment, Komoot discovered a special shortcut that suited me. It took me through a vehicle ban with certain exceptions that I, as a foreigner, didn’t understand, and then right across the premises of a construction company. The access points were closed with barriers, but many other cyclists had prepared a lovely detour that was presented to me.

My destination, Domažlice, immediately thrilled me, and I knew that this was the reward for my great effort.

https://www.komoot.com/de-DE/tour/2250335780?ref=itd

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**English:**

Unfortunately, breakfast was only available starting at 8 AM today. Therefore, the start was slightly delayed. I had planned a long ride for today. The reason was the town of Domažlice itself and a promising accommodation at an excellent price. However, since the day is long enough, the starting time didn’t make a big difference.

In contrast to yesterday, it didn’t rain at all today; the weather was fabulous, if it weren’t for the headwind. Actually, I like the wind, but on such a long journey, I have to manage the battery power effectively. This means I should ride with the lowest possible assistance or even without any when the terrain is flat. The less motor power, the more effort I need to exert myself.

With the energizing breakfast and the food I brought, that was achievable, and I arrived at the destination feeling less fatigued than yesterday. And even now, three hours later, I can still write this daily report without nodding off.

Today, there were also several segments with loose ground, but all were devoid of traffic and easy to traverse. Particularly, there was a longer stretch through a forest that was very scenic. I could have crossed a lovely shallow stream. However, I chose the bridge due to the risk involved. Imagine if I had slipped into the stream with all my gear and everything got drenched. How would my journey have unfolded?

At the end of the woods, there was a small lake. From a distance, I heard loud music and spotted many tents and parked vehicles. It appeared to be a huge celebration, and my path was obstructed. They wanted to charge me an entrance fee of about 4 euros to let me pass. I considered that quite disrespectful as this was a public path. However, I didn’t want to argue for long, so I backed up slightly and went around the lake on the opposite side.

Shortly afterward, I encountered a large city again, namely Plzeň, known as Pilsen in German. This is where the famous beer, Pilsner Urquell, is produced. Luckily, there exists a lovely bypass that allows one to view the town from above without necessitating a trek through it.

In a suburb of Plzeň, to cross the railway, a magnificent bridge was constructed that can be approached in a large arc. Please look at the photographs; it’s far more illustrative than any description.

Dobrany is another small locality adorned with beautiful buildings and a vast village square. Here, after nearly 70 kilometers, I paused for lunch and relished the peaceful ambiance and splendid architecture.

As I progressed along the route, I needed to ride on roads that, however, had little traffic. At that moment, Komoot found a unique shortcut that suited me. It led me through a vehicle-restricted area with certain exceptions that as a foreigner I didn’t grasp, and then right across a construction firm's premises. The access points were blocked off with barriers, yet many other cyclists had established a beautiful alternate route that was available to me.

My destination, Domažlice, immediately captivated me, and I realized that this was the reward for my considerable efforts.